What You See is What You Get
by Bookworm290
Summary: "Because, hey, life ain't easy, but at least it's still goin'." /random ficlets. 4: Artemis - 'Her mind goes back to a year ago, when she had him in her control, and kicking in his face was the best feeling ever.'
1. I'm feeling a change in the air

I'm feeling a change in the air.

* * *

There's been a lot of dead ends during this case and she's tired of waiting. They break in to the warehouse (note: on the report, the lock will have been left open) and they glide in, guns out and down. All she can see at first is a lot of shelves full of nothing but boxes and glass to the back, she's looking down one of the aisles when West calls softly, "Hey, boss. I think I found something."

She jogs over and stiffens when she sees what he's found. It's a pool of blood.

They're definitely not at a dead end anymore.

* * *

She kneels down next to it and dips her fingers in the shiny patch.

"What d'you think, Zee?" the soft voice calls from behind her. She shivers as she cleans off her hand.

"It's still warm." She shares a look with Megan.

"I don't think anyone who lost that much blood would be doing so hot right about now," West comments.

"Yeah, but who lost it, exactly?" she murmurs quietly to herself.

"You're correct. I'm not doing that fantastic at the moment."

She freezes. _No, it can't be, it can't,_ she tries to convince herself.

But it is. It's his voice, and it all comes together in her head that it's his blood here and it was his life all along. And she turns and it is most definitely him, with his smile crinkles by his eyes (still as green as a summer's day) even though he's not smiling, and that stupid sophisticated mustache that she's missed so much.

It only takes her two seconds (one huge leap) to suddenly be on the other side of the stain on the floor and in his arms. He grunts softly, and she remembers that he must be hurt, how else is his blood on the floor, but right now, it doesn't seem to matter, to him or her, and they hug and the moment is timeless.

After seconds (minutes, hours?) she whispers, "Dad," and with one word aloud, a thousand are understood.

* * *

She jolts at the sound of a high, incessant beeping. _The kitchen's smoke alarm._ It all hits her in an instant: she's not a cop, she's only sixteen, she's stuck living at Mount Justice, and her dad, while still alive and uninjured, isn't really even _her dad_ anymore.

She lets out a small gasp, struggling not to cry. "I hate this," she whispers, shoving off her blankets and standing.

Later (much, much later) she'll look back and laugh at the fact that she'd watched too much Castle right before bed and ended up leading a dreamland criminal investigation team with Wally and M'gann on it. But not right now.

Right now, it hurts too much.

* * *

**Posting this because of reasons, the number one being that it is my birthday, and I feel like accomplishing something. XD**

**This came to me in a fit of randomness. It doesn't make sense. It's not supposed to make sense. It's a dream - let the nonsensicality ensue!**

**Also, warning - _there's more to come_. **


	2. Not that I'm complaining

Not that I'm complaining.

* * *

She's graduating in less than a month, and, lo and behold, Dick Grayson seems intent on going to prom with her.

They've had this weird competitive relationship thing ever since she started here, and yeah, she's kinda used to it. He can't seem to stay away from her, and really, she would normally think that that meant he had some crush on her, but he's always _laughing_. Artemis Crock is, apparently, the most hilarious person at Gotham Academy.

She still hasn't forgotten that picture that he took of them both on her first day. She's asked him about it, multiple times, but all he does is - you guessed it - laugh.

Walking down the hallway, Artemis lets her thoughts wander to the sophomore as she heads to her Calculus class (which just so happens to have him in it - seriously, the son of Gotham's millionaire-playboy, a mathlete?)

"Hey, Artemis!" She stops abruptly, recognizing the confident voice behind her.

"Hi, Dick," she sighs. "What's it gonna be today?" Every once in a while, he pulls some ridiculous stunt that involves asking her to her own senior prom. (He's long overdue for one.) Of course, he laughs hysterically every time they happen, so she's never really sure if he's kidding or not. Just last week it was smoke trails in the sky (no, really). Yeah. Usually, they all end in Artemis stalking off furiously, red as all get out.

"Well, after school today, I would be very pleased if you could wait for your very special surprise-of-the-day out back by the tennis courts." Dick has this horrid smirk on his face, sounding exactly like what she would expect a spoiled rich brat to sound like. Unfortunately, she knows he's exaggerating, acting. She groans internally before taking her seat, trying to forget about it as radicals and parabolas steal her concentration.

The class ends all too soon, and Artemis realizes with a start that it's already the end of the day. How could she forget that Calculus was last? She drags out her actions, gathering up her books at a snail's pace.

"Artemis!" She looks over, an unpleasant look covering her face. Dick, as expected, just laughs and says, "Hope you enjoy it!" before rushing out.

_Probably gone off to set up a camera and film my reaction._ Her fists tighten at the thought, her cheeks already beginning to redden.

* * *

It's almost half an hour before she's out there. The first couple of times, she didn't listen to Dick. That is a regret she will always have. He would keep the little surprises set up until a later date to get her at the most inopportune moments. Nothing worse than making your volleyball team lose because, all of a sudden, there's confetti and balloons everywhere. (And he never got in trouble for it, stupid ward of _Bruce Wayne_.) It's better to get them over with after school hours, when no one's around.

Standing beneath the overhang of the school, she looks out at the tennis courts hesitantly, almost too scared to move. _Please, no clowns, no loud noises, no messes, Dick, please_, she begs silently.

A tap on her shoulder.

She turns abruptly and tries not to fall over. "Robin! What...what are you doing here?" She tugs at her uniform's short skirt as Robin flips from his hanging upside-down position to land neatly on his feet. After the truth about her family got out, she and Green Arrow explained (although it was kind of a given) that she wasn't actually his niece and that she actually lived in Gotham City. Of course, Robin, the Boy Wonder, along with previously knowing her heritage, also already knew where she lived. Memories of awkward encounters and fake spelling bees had rushed through her mind before she'd smacked him upside the head.

Even now, they never really saw each other much around the city. This was irregular.

The younger boy shrugs, resting his hands on his hips. "Oh, I dunno. Just passing by and thought I'd say hello." Awkward silence.

"Hi." Artemis says shortly. Awkward silence.

"So...Gotham Academy, huh?"

"Yeah. I...it's a scholarship." She flashes her eyes up him, daring him to comment.

He nods, his mouth stretched into a 'not bad' face. Awkward silence.

"I pictured this going a lot better in my head." Artemis hears Robin mutter, looking down at the ground.

"Umm...Robin? I'm kinda waiting for something to happen here so I can go home, so, do you need anything, or can I get back to this?"

He sighs, running his fingers through his hair. It looks wet, Artemis notes, from sweat or water, and she wonders what exactly the young superhero had been up to.

Or, she does until he reaches up and takes off his domino mask. Those bright blue eyes are unmistakeable. She can feel her own eyes widen, feel her blood rush through her body, feel her arms drop limply to her sides.

Robin...is the one and only Dick Grayson.

"What..." is all she can choke out before suddenly giving him another slap on the head. "You're unbelievable, you know that?"

The obviousness of the whole thing is blinding, it's so bright. Which is, she realizes, why she never figured it out.

Dick..._Robin_...rubs his head before wiping his hand off on his suit. He grimaces. "The gel I have to use in my hair is disgusting."

Artemis processes that sentence slowly.

"I need to sit down," Artemis breathes. She sits down. Never, _ever_, did she think she'd be standing around discussing _hair products_ with the Boy Wonder.

He crouches down next to her, concern filling his eyes, and Artemis lets out a small, gaspy laugh. His _eyes_. She's never been able to see Robin's concerned eyes, and Dick's never had concerned eyes.

"I'm fine," she growls, realizing that enough is enough. She stands up, nearly knocking heads with Robin in the process. "So...what exactly was the point of all this?" She gestures to the air, as if it shows all the humiliating moments, all of the awkward surprises.

Dick raises a single eyebrow. "Well, after a year, I was kind of getting bored of dropping hints so obvious that _Wally_ could figure out, and he's as oblivious as they get."

She rolls her eyes, but doesn't disagree.

* * *

The next hour or so goes slowly as Artemis has her first honest-to-goodness, full-on conversation with Dick Grayson. And, really, Robin as well.

Eventually, she realizes that the sky's getting pink, and Gotham (no matter how much she loves it), isn't the greatest place to be at night, so she gets ready to head home.

Just before she leaves, Dick calls her back. "Uh, I was wondering...if I could take you to your prom?" It ends as a question, and Artemis hears both Dick and Robin in it, and she knows she shouldn't, but she bursts out laughing.

"I can't think of anyone I'd rather go with."

* * *

**What have I done. Please excuse this fic. Eh, regardless of quality, I had fun writing it. Yeah. **

**Traught friendship/romance - whatever you see or want, that's what it is. Personally, it's friendship (although I do like me some Traught).**

**Oh! And since the show confuses me to no end, this is written as Dick being two grades below Artemis, and her having started at GA for her junior year.**

**Hope you enjoyed, please leave comments/thoughts/maybe even requests for anything YJ-ish? **


	3. If I could see the future,

If I could see the future, and how this plays out.

* * *

He's standing silently next to Dick, watching as half of their stupid little secret group sinks underwater. His lips are tingling and his eyes are being stabbed by tiny needles. At least, that's what it feels like. It's just tears in the end, so.

* * *

It'd only been a week since the whole Neutron/Flash incident - with _Impulse_ - when Dick called. He'd asked to talk to Artemis with barely a 'hello' for Wally first. That had been his hint.

But when she hung up a few minutes later, it came as a complete surprise.

"I'm going in."

* * *

Artemis hadn't wanted to leave the Team as badly as Wally had. Don't get him wrong, neither of them had wanted to _leave_, but Wally was slightly more excited to go to Stanford than Artemis, understandably.

She'd wanted to come up with some impossible way to do both. (Granted, so had he.) Eventually, Wally got her to come around, on one condition: if ever they needed their help, the two of them would be ready to step in, no questions asked. Look where that'd gotten him-

-alone and spreading the _fan_tastic news that he was now girlfriend-less. The look on everyone's faces, the reactions he received, had nearly made in zeta to the Cave and punch Dick.

Nearly.

* * *

Artemis has the most amazing smell. He doesn't care how much like a creep he sounds, she is his girlfriend, and he's allowed to smell her, and she smells amazing.

Walking into the apartment, the first thing he does is feed Nelson. It had been her idea to get him in the first place. He'd never wanted some stupid furball, so Artemis had let Wally name him to recompense.

_tinyneedlestinyneedlestinyne edles-tears._

Then he shuffles to the bedroom before peeling off his clothes and collapsing onto the bed. He sleeps in the middle, his head resting on his own pillow with his nose shoved in hers. He doesn't feel like any time has passed when he calmly wakes up the next morning.

Maybe none has. Or maybe, time's gone really fast and Dick's mission is over and Artemis is coming home.

Better yet, time's gone so slowly that it's started decelerating, and Artemis hasn't left yet, and he can stop her from going.

...

Man. He's a mess.

How's this going to work?

* * *

He finally breaks down after she's been gone for three days, ten hours, and 27 minutes. He's trying to write his Vietnamese Lit essay, and it's just not working out.

* * *

**Super-delayed Depths feels, YAYY! I actually wrote this a _long_ time ago, but I have been AFK, so.**

**Plus, this is the first Spitfire I've written. And it made me sad. Dangit.  
**


	4. How cavalier we used to be

How cavalier we used to be.

* * *

They're fighting Sportsmaster, which throws her off her game before they even get on the bioship. But she's Artemis, so she shakes it off and continues on her way, in her way.

She isn't going to let this slow her down.

* * *

Until it does. Because she forgot the effect that he has on her and her hands are shaking, her shots are off (a full 5 millimeters on that one shot, disgusting), and her insides feel like they're being kneaded like dough. The fight is dragging on and her mind goes back to a year ago, when she had him in her control, and kicking in his face was the best feeling ever (next to making up with Wally). He's not letting a repeat happen though. If anything, it looks like he's planning on returning the favour.

* * *

All of a sudden, two of his lackeys have her arms and she's being forced to kneel and he kneels down next to her, making sure she can see his eyes before he-

* * *

It hurts. It hurts _a lot_, and she's not ashamed to admit it. She's not sure where everybody else is (both her team and her father's seem to've disappeared), but she's lying on the cold floor, clutching her stomach completely alone.

Except - wait- there's Wally - no, here's Wally, right here - and it sounds like he says 'stabbed', but - and her face is getting wet, and - she's never seen Wally cry - "You have snot on your face," she says, or rather breathes, because now she's not even sure if she made any noise, and Wally lets out a wet chuckle before looking her over. It doesn't take long for his face to darken into a storm.

"What's the verdict, Doc?" she asks.

"No, it's fine, we'll get you on the shipandeverything'llbeokayandwe'llgethimwe'llfindhimyou'llseeit'llbealright-" She puts a hand on his arm. He wipes his face. He's not making any sense. And it doesn't even hurt anymore.

And that's how she knows.

And he cradles her close as the rest of them come running, but that's not what's real.

No. What's real is all of them sitting around a table, doing nothing but talking, and laughing, and that's when Artemis knows _happiness._

* * *

**I AM INCAPABLE OF WRITING HAPPINESS SPITFIRE WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME.  
**

**Also, just as a side-note, I personally believe that Sportsmaster would_ never_ hurt his daughters. (Well, okay, maybe he might've during training. But like this? No.) For some reason, this ficlet just sat on my brain and yelled at me before I wrote it down, so.  
**

**Sigh. Tears.  
**

**(Sorry for the double Spitfire. Onto the others!)  
**

**(I'll see what I can do about Chalant.)  
**


End file.
